Thursday, March 3, 2011

3/3 Missa Solemnis (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

The Missa Solemnis ("Solemn Mass") in D from 1823 was a work Beethoven himself hailed as his "greatest" - at least until the 9th Symphony came along. I'm not going to go much more into background - I have alot of typing ahead of me...it's epic and sublime should be heard live at least once in a lifetime, preferably in the 2nd row center seats.  Worth it at any price.

Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123 (1823)
Sir Colin Davis, LSO
0:00    I.   Kyrie
11:07   II.  Gloria
30:01   III. Credo
52:32   IV.  Sanctus / Benedictus
1:09:41 V.   Agnes Dei


CHANNEL LINK: Click here to see this video on my YouTube Channel. Once there, click on "...(more info)" to scroll through the text description while the video stays in place.

I...-Kyrie - Assai sostenuto (starting from 0:00)
Part I (MAROON): 1st theme: orchestra: D major
2nd theme: orchestra (solo clarinet): G major
3rd theme: orchestra
1st theme: chorus: “Kyrie" / 2nd theme: tenor solo: "Kyrie"
3rd theme: alto solo/chorus:"Kyrie eleison"
4th theme (variation of 3rd theme): chorus (in canon): “Eleison"
Part II (GREEN): andante assai ben marcato: solo quartet:“Christe": B minor
Chorus: "Christe"
Variation: chorus/solo quartet:"Christe"
Part I (return) (MAROON) : 1st theme:orchestra
1st theme (return): chorus/solo quartet: ”Kyrie"
5th theme: chorus: "Eleison"
1st theme (final variation):chorus

II...-Gloria - Allegro vivace (starting from 11:07)
Part I (BROWN): orchestra: 1st theme: D major
1st theme: chorus: “Gloria”
2nd theme: chorus: ”In Excelsis”
1st theme: chorus: "Gloria"
3rd theme: bass chorus: ”Et in terra"
1st theme (variation): chorus: ”Laudamus te"
4th theme: chorus:”Glorificamus": D major
4th theme (variation):chorus: ”Glorificamus": G major
Part II (GREEN): meno allegro: 1st theme: orchestra/chorus/solo:”Gratias"
1st theme (variation): chorus:"Gratias”
1st theme (variation of 1st theme, part I) (BROWN): ”Domine” E flat major
2nd theme: solo quartet:"Domine fili"
3rd theme: chorus: "Domine deus" F major
(Qui tollis - Larghetto, BLUE) Development: orchestra
1st theme: solo quartet: ”Qui tollis": F major
1st theme (answer): chorus:”Miserere", Soloists
1st theme (variation): chorus "Qui tollis": D major, Soloists
2nd theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Qui sedes": B flat major
3rd theme: solo quartet:“Miserere”
(Quoniam - Allegro maestoso, MAROON) Part I: 1st theme: orchestra
1st theme: chorus:"Quoniam": D major
2nd theme: chorus: “Cum sancto”
Part II: allegro ma non troppo:fugue, PURPLE: 1st theme: chorus:"In gloria”
1st theme (variation): solo quartet/chorus: ”In gloria"
1st theme (variation, condensed fugue): chorus:"In gloria"
Part III (GREEN): poco piu allegro: solo quartet: "Amen": D major
Part IV: presto (return of 1st theme from GLORIA) (BROWN):"Gloria"

III...-Credo I - Allegro ma non troppo (starting from 30:01)
1st theme: orchestra/chorus:"Credo": B flat major (BROWN)
1st theme (return): chorus:"Credo"
2nd theme: chorus: “Deum de deum”: G major
3rd theme: chorus:”Consubstantialem"
4th theme: chorus: "Qui propter nos homines"
5th theme: chorus:"Descendit"
(Et incarnatus est - Adagio, BLUE) 1st theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Et incarnatus"
2nd theme (development):andante: chorus/tenor solo:“Et homo"
3rd theme: adagio espressivo:solo quartet: "Crucifixus"
4th theme: quartet/chorus:"Passus": sequence of keys
5th theme (development):allegro: chorus: ”Et resurrexit"
6th theme: chorus: ”Et ascendit": C major
7th theme: chorus:"Judicare": sequence of keys
1st theme (variation): chorus:”Cuius regni"
(Credo II - Allegro ma non troppo, GREEN) Part I: 1st theme (variation of 1st theme, CREDO I): chorus:"Credo"
Part II: allegretto ma non troppo: 1st theme: chorus:“Et vitam"
Part III: allegro con moto: 1st theme (variation of part II):“Et vitam"
Part IV: grave: 1st theme:chorus/solo quartet: “Et vitam": B flat major

IV...-Sanctus/Benedictus (starting from 52:32)
(Sanctus - Adagio, BROWN) Part I: 1st theme: orchestra: Dmajor
1st theme: solo quartet:"Sanctus"
1st theme (return): solo quartet: “Sanctus”
Part II (OLIVE): allegro pesante: chorus: ”Pleni sunt”: D major
Part III (BLUE): presto: 1st theme:chorus: ”Osanna"
(Preludium/Benedictus - Sostenuto, PURPLE) Introduction: orchestra
Solo violin entrance
1st theme (MAROON): chorus bass/solo violin: ”Benedictus"
2nd theme: solo alto/bass (BLUE): "Benedictus”: G major
2nd theme: solo soprano/tenor: “Benedictus”
3rd theme (MAROON 2): chorus: ”In nomine"
2nd Theme (variation) (BLUE): solo quartet: "Benedictus"
3rd Theme (variation) (MAROON 2): chorus "In Nomine"
1st Theme (variation) (MAROON): solo quartet:"Qui venit"
4th theme (GREEN): chorus "Osanna" G major

V...-Agnus Dei - Adagio (starting from 1:09:41)
1st theme (MAROON): orchestra/bass solo: "Agnus dei": B minor
2nd theme (BROWN): orchestra/chorus: "Miserere"
1st theme (variation): alto/tenor solo: “Agnus"
2nd theme (variation): alto solo/chorus: "Miserere”
1st theme (variation): solo quartet: “Agnus"
2nd theme (variation):chorus/solo quartet:”Miserere"
(Dona nobis pacem - Allegretto vivace, BLUE) 1st theme: chorus: "Dona nobis": A major
2nd theme: chorus:”Pacem": D major
3rd Theme:chorus:"Dona nobis"
4th theme (variation of 3rd theme): chorus/soprano solo: "Dona"
(Agnus dei - Allegro assai, GREEN) Part I: Development: orchestra
Development (quasi-recitative): solo quartet:"Agnus dei"
1st theme (variation of 1st theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): quartet:"Dona nobis"
2nd theme (variation of 3rd theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): chorus:"Dona nobis"
3rd theme (variation of 4th theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM):chorus/solo quartet: “Dona nobis”
Part II (VIOLET): presto: orchestra: D Major
Development: chorus: ”Agnus"
1st theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Dona nobis": B flat major
Part III (BROWN): 1st theme (variation of 1st theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM):quartet: "Dona"
2nd theme (variation):chorus: ”Dona nobis": D major
3rd theme: solo quartet:“Pacem"
4th theme: chorus: ”Pacem" D Major
5th theme (variation of 3rd theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): chorus:"Dona nobis"

Breakdowns quoted directly from Alan Rich's book, Play by Play.  Usually I go through each section and "vet" each of Mr. Rich's sectional breakdowns, since I try to clarify things a bit more (at least for me) but for this one I frankly just did a straight copy.

For more, here's a superb website devoted to the Missa Solemnis :
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/BeethovenMissaSolemnis/missa_solemnis.html

Ah yeah - almost forgot to tack on one more >ahem< "rockified remix"...
Gloria:

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